


As rivers reach the sea

by riverscape



Category: JO1 (Japan Band), Produce 101 Japan
Genre: During Canon, Falling In Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Introspection, M/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22176211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverscape/pseuds/riverscape
Summary: A collection of one shots taking place during Produce 101 Japan.
Relationships: Kawanishi Takumi/Kawashiri Ren
Comments: 16
Kudos: 61





	1. Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Soundtrack:** [INTERSECTION - Falling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5ZYJuBbHZM)  
>  _Oh, I don’t know what I can‘t explain it  
>  No, but you got me under your spell  
> You got me, you got me gone, I can tell_

Ren didn’t remember his first meeting with Takumi.

According to the footage in the first episode they met while bowing to each other, after entering the set with Satoshi and Shosei. But honestly speaking, he didn’t remember anything. Not even his (beautiful) face. Ren had been too nervous to even glance at each person – his fellow trainees. The ones he met earlier – either while training for the level evaluation performance, traveling to South Korea, in the bus to the filming location – were all handsome. They were handsome to the point that his group mate Satoshi started fretting over his own looks.

Ren tried to calm him down.

“Let’s trust in our own skills,” he had told Satoshi, who nodded.

But to be truthful, Ren shared Satoshi’s worries.

Neither looked like typical _ikemen_ , so they were at a clear disadvantage.

After KSix introduced themselves Ren could only remember one name and face: Kawanishi Takumi.

_His profile will be listed next to mine._

“He’s really handsome...” Satoshi whispered. “He looks like a K-pop idol.”

“Good looks aren’t everything,” Shosei said, “Let’s see his performance first.”

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“Shh!”

_His photo will be listed next to mine._

Ren resisted the urge to bury his face into his hands.

How could he be so unlucky?

But when the performance started Ren couldn’t help but follow Kawanishi.

Ren could tell he was inexperienced, like many others, but there was something about his dancing that drew his attention. It was bold and expressive. His movements were confident and attractive.

And Ren wanted to see more of that.

“He’s good,” Ren said.

The others nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing a JO1-related story. At this point of writing my take on the members/trainees are only very loosely based on what I've seen in Produce 101 Japan... Even now it feels like I barely know them. So I'm not exactly confident about the characterisation. 
> 
> Also, rather than a multi-chaptered story, it's better to consider this a series of (short) one shots. The amount of updates depends on how much inspiration and time I have, which isn't that much. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this fic.


	2. At First Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Soundtrack:** [eill - この夜が明けるまで (Until this night ends)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXlDlcH48Z0)  
>  _We were together forever  
>  Any time any where any places  
> And we were looking at the same dream  
> Even in the nights we held each other tightly_

It wasn’t love at first sight.

Takumi must have encountered him for the first time in the hallways of the studio building. Or maybe they sat on the other side of the make-up room before entering the pyramid set. Whatever it was, it must not have been memorable. Ren was good looking, but so were the other 99 guys sitting in that pyramid. Even seeing Ren’s performance at the class level evaluation didn’t particularly trigger anything within him other than being amazed at his level of dancing, which was crazy high by the way. His singing was pretty darned good as well.

However, Ren just wasn’t his type.

Nothing among Takumi’s past crushes would indicate that he would eventually fall for Ren.

Even so, it did happen somehow.

By sheer chance (or fate), Takumi occasionally found himself by Ren’s side in the three days that followed. Even before he managed to land his ass in A class (he thinks of it as an unbelievable miracle, but everyone reassured him he did really well enough to deserve it), they walked together to the training center, sat beside each other in the bus and once ate at the same table in the dinner hall.

Out of all other boys it had to be Ren.

Takumi could recall one moment.

It was late at night and he was lying down the floor in one of the spare rooms, exhausted from training so hard for the re-evaluation. At some point the door had opened because he suddenly heard a voice calling out.

“Hey. Takumi?”

Ren’s voice was softer than usual.

“Ren-kun?”

Takumi opened his eyes and stared at the other boy.

Ren had changed into his sleeping attire. A towel hung around his neck.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

“Yeah.”

Takumi sat up.

“I was taking a short rest. I’ll continue soon.”

“You should go sleep. It’s late.”

“But I’m having fun.”

“You’re having fun?”

“Yeah, isn’t it weird? Even though it’s so difficult. Singing and dancing at the same time."

“No, it’s not. It’s not weird,” Ren said. “That’s what makes it enjoyable. Struggling to perfect something.”

“Right?” Takumi grinned. “I could keep going until the night ends.”

He just blurted it out without thinking, but it already made Ren laugh out loud.

“You’re already doing great,” Ren said after recovering himself, “and it’s good to practice hard, but don’t forget to take rest.”

Takumi nodded. He got up and left the room. Some boys were still practicing while others were sleeping on the floor.

This conversation wasn’t anything special, but the one thing that stuck in his mind was this:

_You’re already doing great._

Back then, it felt good to hear that. But it didn’t end there.

Ren continued to praise him.

When Takumi got into A class.

“I knew you’d get in here. Keep up the good work.”

When Takumi practiced together with Ren and the other guys in A class.

“You’re great! You improved so much!”

Being praised by Ren who was likely the best all-rounder and dancer among of all trainees gave him a huge confidence boost. To an inexperienced guy it really meant a lot, but the same compliments often left Takumi at a loss of words. Usually he resorted to replying with a canned phrase.

After Takumi finished his Tsukame focus cam recording, they were given a break until it was Ren’s turn to be filmed. Many trainees had been watching A-class recording out of curiosity.

Hico gave him a water bottle.

“You were amazing, Takkun! You look like an idol already.”

Takumi had only talked properly to the younger boy a few days ago, but he was already being called Takkun.

He smiled back.

“Thanks.”

Ren approached him as well.

“Your expressions were the best. I hope I can do as well as you.”

Takumi scratched the back of his head in reflex.

_Are you kidding me? You’ll do even better!_

“Haha, thanks.”

Ren smiled and moved to a nearby staff for a last check-up.

“Why does he keep giving me compliments…” Takumi muttered.

“You’re not alone,” Hico said, “Ren-kun said he really likes my hip moves…”

Behind them another boy exclaimed, “Ren-kun praised me too! He’s so nice!”

Hearing that Ren said similar things to other people grounded Takumi back into reality.

_It’s not special treatment, it’s not special treatment…_

“Does it bother you?” Hico asked.

“No, I just don’t know how to react sometimes… I’m not bothered, really.”

Hico hummed.

“Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not blushing!”

“Hehe, cute. So Takkun can’t take compliments well.”

“Shut up.”

“But he does praise you a lot~ I wonder if he’s fallen in love.”

His jaw dropped.

“What?”

Hico deadpanned.

“I meant that he’s fallen in love with your dance.”

Takumi sighed.

“Very funny. I still have a long way to go compared to him and the others.”

“Hico thinks Takkun’s dancing is very charming though. A lot of people said the same after the class evaluation.”

Wait, that’s news to him.

Hico continued, “I’d be not surprised if he liked it as well.”

Takumi frowned.

“Really? You think he liked that at first sight?”

“Who knows~” Hico grinned. “Why don’t you ask him?”

“How about no?”


	3. Formation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Soundtrack:** [iri - Shade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NftVyn4xWWc)  
>  _We're just counting the eternities  
>  I want them to come true  
> From a dream. If it is a dream._
> 
> **PLAYLIST:** [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34Bb2iyWxY2nyJA9BxTbB5?si=lbHI-fIaRhmeUOUdVWnPPg)/[Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJgTq7W-FVRl8iIhAzGa3xfGbyvaAmRzI)

The A class trainees grew closer after the re-evaluation grades were revealed.

Yugo, Shion and Takumi had joined them, but Raira had to move down to B class. Even though it wasn’t unexpected, it hit them all very hard.

“I’m sorry. I should have helped you more.”

Ren apologized, trying to hold back his tears.

Raira shook his head, then hugged Ren tightly.

“Not at all. We all did what could... But I guess this was my limit.”

He gave a wry smile.

“For now, it is,” Ren said, letting go of the other, “Let’s meet at the top.”

He nodded.

“I’ll do my best.”

They looked to the side. Takumi sat on the bench outside the room with hands in his hair.

Raira sighed and put a hand on Ren’s shoulder.

“Take care of Takumi for me, please.”

“I will.”

As expected, A class became even more united while continuing practice. The newly joined trainees integrated and improved quickly. The remaining members eased them into the group. As per Raira’s request, Ren tried his best to help the inexperienced Takumi to improve as much as possible.

But Raira’s request wasn’t the only reason.

Up until then Ren only considered Takumi as a fellow trainee with whom he had several friendly exchanges. Ren didn’t know why, but Takumi always managed to capture his attention somehow. He often ended up watching the other boy from afar. After talking to some of the (former) B class trainees it turned out that Ren wasn’t the only one who shared that opinion. All agreed that Takumi had raw potential as a performer. Ren couldn’t wait to see Takumi develop even more.

Soon after, the group recorded the center candidate videos, and then, the center was chosen.

Ren could hardly describe the unbelievable joy that overcame him.

Him? Dancing at the very front?

It was a dream come true.

After the center selection it was time to decide the dance formations of each class.

Warner and Anon were put in charge of creating the formation, but it seemed that they had most trouble with A class. There were several possible formations for their group, but neither seemed satisfied.

“There’s something missing,” Warner said, while watching the footage on the laptop, “but I can’t put my finger on it.”

Anon agreed.

“Me too. I’m trying to imagine how it would look like on camera.”

“The first impression for viewers is very important. Should we ask the others for their input?”

“Let’s do that.”

“You guys can take a break if you want. We’ll call you as soon as possible.”

An hour later Ren and the others were called back again.

A few other people had accompanied the trainers to the A class room. Warner and Anon introduced them as the choreographer and the producers who would be in charge of filming the Tsukame performance video.

In the end, the back row remained unchanged, Ryuta remained with the taller trainees at the back, but the second and third row contained some changes. Youndong was pushed forward as a center wing next to Mame, while Yugo got moved to the outer ring so that he would not end up hidden behind other trainees.

On the other hand, Takumi-kun was moved to the middle of the third row.

When asked about the reason, a producer pointed at Takumi’s head.

“It’s the red hair.”

“The choreographer and I considered putting you in the outer ring as well, but the producers were all in firm agreement that you should be in the middle,” Warner said, “After seeing this, I’ve come to the same conclusion as well. You’ll stand out regardless. Don’t think of it as a bad position to be in.”

“It feels more balanced now, you behind the center,” the producer said in slow Japanese, “Blonde at the front, red behind, and everyone else brown and black.”

“I agree,” Anon said. “It looks good like this.”

They all nodded in unison while Ren and Takumi exchanged confused glances.

_Can they just really decide this based on just our hair colour?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you for leaving so many comments! I'm glad I can do my share of contributions while we're waiting for more JO1 updates.
> 
> I always wondered how they decided the Tsukame dance formation, so this was my take on it lol.
> 
> As you may have noticed there's an accompanying song before each chapter. I decided to compile the songs in a playlist ([Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34Bb2iyWxY2nyJA9BxTbB5?si=lbHI-fIaRhmeUOUdVWnPPg)/[Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJgTq7W-FVRl8iIhAzGa3xfGbyvaAmRzI)). The song for this chapter is Shade by iri. Ren fans might be familiar with it as [Ren has danced to this song before Produce](https://youtu.be/F2t6xqscZ7M?t=451).


	4. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Soundtrack:** [School Food Punishment - Flow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K121OG3O70U)  
>  _Your voice is overflowing in this parched room  
>  As though I'm searching for water, I’m calling for you  
> Waiting for a favourable wind, I quietly sharpen my ears  
> As though I'm searching for water, I’m calling for you_
> 
> **PLAYLIST:** [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34Bb2iyWxY2nyJA9BxTbB5?si=lbHI-fIaRhmeUOUdVWnPPg)/[Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJgTq7W-FVRl8iIhAzGa3xfGbyvaAmRzI)

The trainees were waiting to enter the room. All of them were buzzing with excitement.

“Takumi…”

Ren stood behind him with an unreadable expression.

“Hm?”

“Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

“I don’t mind.”

Takumi felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Ren, but the weight felt strangely heavy.

“Are you nervous?”

“Not really,” Ren muttered, “Just need someone for mental support.”

Takumi couldn’t help but smile.

“Me?”

Ren shifted his gaze to the staff who opened the door.

“Who else?”

Ren was mostly close to the A class students, but the only one near them was Mame.

“Go ahead.”

Before this, Takumi felt like he was being supported by Ren, most of the time. The other way around was… rare. It came in small waves like getting snacks or bottles of water whenever Ren ran out of them. But not much else.

So this kind of felt good.

“Just sit wherever you like,” the staff said as the trainees entered the room.

Ren and Takumi followed Mame who was in front of them.

“Do we sit in the middle?” Mame asked.

“No, not the middle. Go to the top.”

“Sure.”

As Ren insisted, to the top bunk they went, away from the middle.

Takumi sat in between Ren and Mame.

After everyone was seated, the staff shouted.

“Here we go! Everyone ready?”

Takumi suddenly felt an arm around his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Ren said.

“It’s fine.” Takumi smirked. “You’re really nervous, right?”

“Yeah, I am.”

* * *

Ren had already seen a few comments about him and Takumi on Twitter on the C-Channel event.

It seemed like there were quite a few people who liked seeing them together.

Thinking about it, _honestly_ thinking about it, he really liked spending time with Takumi. Much more than he expected. It was easy for them to get along, to become friends. It felt like they were on a similar wavelength. As if they perfectly fit together despite coming from entirely different backgrounds. That’s why they were often seen together.

On the whole, Ren really liked Takumi as a person as well.

Though he could be a bit strange, behaving and speaking in a way as he wasn’t particularly thinking about anything at all. As Mame once told him, “I don’t understand what’s he’s saying sometimes.”

He could be unexpectedly clumsy too. It made Ren want to take care of him.

As an older brother?

As a teacher?

For Ren it felt natural to be in those positions, having younger brothers as well as having taught dance classes to other people.

So maybe that’s why he tended to keep an eye on Takumi?

Is that why he plucked a piece of dirt out of Takumi’s hair without even mentioning it to the person himself?

He had seen those comments on their focus videos as well, but not a whole lot.

But all of that changed within less than a day.

Ren clicked on the YouTube notification with hesitation.

Never in his whole life he felt so embarrassed to watch himself in a video.

Soon after, the group chat suddenly burst with comments about Ren… and Takumi.

> “@Takumi @Ren check the comment section”
> 
> “Congratulations, kawakawa~”
> 
> “OMG so many people are talking about Ren-kun and Takumi-kun 😅”
> 
> “People are really digging the kawakawa chemistry lol.”
> 
> “Twitter is all over it as well wwww”
> 
> “They’re angry at that banner 🤣”
> 
> “Wow, you guys are the first big ship of Produce 101 Japan.”
> 
> “Congrats, you two hit the jackpot.”
> 
> “I knew this would happen 😏”
> 
> “You guys do look good together after all 🤭”
> 
> “If you guys get married invite me to your wedding lololol.”

Everyone was joking and teasing them, but Ren’s heart was racing while scrolling through the comments. Though it was amusing on a certain level, he couldn’t laugh. For some reason he felt anxious about Takumi’s reaction to all of this.

Because this was.

Weird.

Just weird.

Both just got barely used to the idea of being publicly known, as well as becoming considerably popular out of all 101 boys. And only a few weeks had passed since the Tsukame performance video was released.

Not to mention they only knew each other since August, about two months.

While their new friendship wasn’t fragile, it wasn’t particularly strong either.

Ren was afraid this would change them, and their relationship.

* * *

Takumi had no idea how to talk to Ren about the current situation.

They had to talk about this, right?

They couldn’t pretend it wasn’t happening… right?

As they were both K-Pop fans (they bonded over liking Big Bang), they were quite familiar with the fan practice of… “shipping”. But being linked to another person in this way felt strange and… awkward to say the least. It was especially awkward because it was Ren out of all people.

Takumi had an inkling that Ren seemed like the type to worry about it a lot.

He thought about various ways to confront this issue, but the only safe method without making something bigger than it really is… was to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal at all.

For now, it was the best solution.

Even though it was a truly big deal to Takumi.

Never in the entire past two months he would have thought he’d be shipped with Ren.

That’s why his heart jumped when he met the other boy the following day.

As expected, Ren appeared visibly bothered and immediately lead Takumi a room without other people. All the while, Takumi feigned a calm expression.

After entering the room, Ren cornered him against the wall.

Takumi smiled. “What’s up?”

“It’s… about the reaction video,” Ren started with a quiet voice, “I, I didn’t think they’d focus on us that much.”

Takumi gave a frown.

“But you’re the center… It’s obvious that they’d film you a lot.”

“No, No.” Ren shook his head. His hands moved, making wild gestures. “I meant, I didn’t think they’d pay attention to us that much.”

“Us?” Takumi raised an eyebrow. “You mean the two of us?”

Ren clarified with a low voice.

“The comments… about us.”

He blinked at Ren.

“Oh yeah, I saw those!”

Ren nodded slowly.

“About that…”

“You feel uncomfortable with those comments?” Takumi said, keeping his blank expression in check.

Ren shook his head again, this time quickly and intense.

“No! Absolutely not! It’s just… unexpected. How about you?”

“You’re worried about how I think about this?”

“Ahaha. I guess I am.” Ren laughed dryly. “But you don’t seem bothered.”

Takumi smiled.

“I’m personally fine with it.”

Ren’s eyes went wide. His mouth hung open slightly.

“You really don’t have to worry about this,” Takumi said with a smile, “Nothing about us will change.”

Ren let out a deep sigh. The relief was palpable.

He twirled around and started pacing around the room.

“But… But what are we supposed to do with this?”

That was a good question.

Takumi didn’t think too hard about it and just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Nothing in particular.”

Ren stopped pacing.

“Huh?”

“…Let’s just go with the flow.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds. It almost felt like Takumi had said something wrong.

However, Ren broke into a big grin.

“Nice one,” he laughed, “We’re rivers after all.”

Takumi smiled back.

“I guess we’re good?”

“Yeah,” Ren said, “Let’s go back. The others are waiting for us.”

Takumi nodded and turned to the door.

He felt Ren’s hand on his shoulder as they exited the room.

Takumi was glad that they were able to clear up… whatever this situation was.

But he knew that, deep inside.

Deep inside him.

Something had already changed.


	5. Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Soundtrack:** [Fujii Kaze - YASASHISA (Kindness)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzhTpIIQR5I)  
>  _What were you looking at now  
>  I saw the shadow of you  
> I was shivering with kindness  
> in those arms_
> 
> **PLAYLIST:** [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34Bb2iyWxY2nyJA9BxTbB5?si=lbHI-fIaRhmeUOUdVWnPPg)/[Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJgTq7W-FVRl8iIhAzGa3xfGbyvaAmRzI)

Takumi had no idea when he fell for Ren. It must have come to him gradually.

Even though Ren always beside him. Quite literally.

They were next to each other in the Tsukame formation, in the rankings, in the profile list, on the poster, on the touring bus, and so on.

It was like fate played a joke on them.

But the point, the tipping point, the one thing that took it beyond admiration – beyond a guy crush.

What was it?

Ren wasn’t on his mind most of the time; he had been dealing with so many things during the first months. Training to catch up, new friendships, his sudden popularity, the amount of attention on him, whether good or bad. It was overwhelming to the point that even if he wanted to express it, he couldn’t describe it in words.

He worried a lot, and for a while, he kept those thoughts all to himself.

However, Heecheon encouraged Takumi to talk to his friends.

“Open up to someone. It’s good to have people around who can support you.”

Obviously, he was speaking from experience.

Takumi felt at ease to talk to Hico. They were able to talk about anything, the good and bad things, no matter how trivial. It almost felt like they were siblings. The younger brother he never had. But honestly, Takumi felt bad about burdening Hico with too many bad things. For one thing, he wanted Hico to rely more on him than the other way around.

However, there were things that only a few could experience:

the pressure of being at the top, remaining at the top and your entire life being scrutinized.

Sometimes he talked to Ren about those things.

And Ren also shared what was on his mind.

Takumi considered Ren a role model among all trainees. But even Ren had moments that he needed to rely on someone, when he bumped into a wall and cracked under pressure. Sometimes it felt like Ren was having a tougher time than anyone else.

And the more they talked, the more they hugged.

They really hugged a lot.

Those hugs meant a lot to him.

It honestly felt good in his embrace.

A little too good.

Takumi wondered if Ren enjoyed it as much as he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo.... it's been a while since the last update. Thanks for sticking around if you made it this far. 😆
> 
> In case you missed it, I wrote another renkumi one shot titled Arcade a while back. Please check it out!


	6. Shinagawa Sighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Soundtrack:** [Nariaki Obukuro - Down The Line](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeC9cgXBR-8)  
>  _Lying beside you_  
>  Dreaming about you  
> How many times it takes my breath away
> 
> **PLAYLIST:** [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34Bb2iyWxY2nyJA9BxTbB5?si=lbHI-fIaRhmeUOUdVWnPPg)/[Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJgTq7W-FVRl8iIhAzGa3xfGbyvaAmRzI)

Ren could pinpoint the exact moment when he realized he felt differently about Takumi. Somehow it was all kinds of terrible without it being terrible.

No, scratch that.

It was _terrible._

He was reminded of that time when he encountered an old tweet on being sighted in Shinagawa station together with Takumi back in October.

Actually, there was a small story behind it. They waited about a month between the position battle and the first elimination round. As more weekly rankings were revealed, it became clearer who would most likely survive or not. But the suspension remained. Ren and Takumi were less concerned about their own rankings at that point, but it was devastating to observe the rollercoaster of emotions among the lower ranked trainees.

* * *

Takumi was in his hometown when he messaged Ren on LINE.

> _“I’m bored. I need to get out of here.”_

Ren wasn’t sure whether Takumi was truly bored or in need of distraction.

But it was most likely the latter.

> _“Where do you want to go?”_

It took a few hours for Takumi to reply again.

> _“Tokyo.”_

Ren’s brain went in overdrive.

There was less than a week left before they had to film the next elimination round and go to the training center in Nagoya. But a few days were just enough.

> _“How about coming over to my place? We can travel to filming set together later this week.”_

This time, Takumi replied immediately.

> _“Sounds like a plan._ _👍_ _”_

Ren smiled.

He couldn’t wait to show Takumi around the places he frequented – like the dance school he used to work at. Or his friends’ places. But more than anything, it was fun to hang out with Takumi. He just liked being around him. They had gotten close in the meanwhile, even talking in their own dialects together. Although they spent their off days not seeing each other, they chatted nearly every day.

Ren went about his daily routine, but occasionally, he thought about Takumi.

Specifically, Takumi’s face.

How was it possible to be that handsome?

He wanted to see that face again.

Not in the episodes, videos, or photos, but right in front of him.

* * *

Takumi must have been _really_ bored, because he had taken a bullet train to Tokyo in the early morning. Ren picked him up from the nearby station and guided him to his small apartment. He had already prepared the necessary things, like a futon in his living room.

“You live alone here, right?”

“Yeah. It will be just the two of us.”

“I see.”

They both went quiet after that.

_Just the two of us._

Even though Ren had said so himself, he didn’t realize how much it would affect him until Takumi entered his apartment, towing a suitcase into the small living room. Ren closed the door behind him and watched Takumi drop down on the couch. It almost looked like Takumi had been in his apartment countless before even though they only met like a few months ago.

“I’m beat,” Takumi said, “I had too much adrenaline last night, after our phone call. Couldn’t sleep that much.”

Ren frowned.

“Really?”

“I couldn’t wait to get here.”

“You were that bored.”

“Well, I needed to take my mind off things too, you know…”

Ren smiled. As expected, he needed distraction.

Takumi looked around.

“I like your place.”

“Thanks. It’s small though,” Ren said, “There’s no place in my bedroom so I put the futon here.”

He had it prepared next to the couch.

“Do you mind if I take a nap?”

“Go ahead.”

“You can take my bed.”

“Okay.”

Takumi took his suitcase into the bedroom.

The room was simple and barebones. It only contained a cheap bed and a nightstand. He hardly spent any time there apart from sleeping, because he went out a lot; either for part-time work, dancing gigs or going out with his friends. He never once thought about decorating the room.

The faint sunlight in the bedroom was dimmed by the dark blue curtain. Takumi took off his hoodie and threw it on the floor. Ren was just watching. Just watching. He felt goosebumps erupting all over.

Something about this felt very wrong.

It wasn’t the fact that Takumi was undressing. He had seen him undress before, several times even. But it was the fact that Takumi was in _his_ bedroom. Undressing.

Ren stood in the doorway, at a loss of what to do. Brain short circuited. Every fiber of his being was attempting to maintain his current position. He resisted hitting himself on the head for not realizing it earlier.

After Takumi opened his suitcase and put on a shirt, he paused for a moment. He stared at the bed for a long time, as if in contemplation, then looked back at Ren.

He said: “You know what… I’ll take the futon.”

The sudden change in plans made Ren blink multiple times.

“You sure?”

Takumi expressed a sheepish smile.

“It’s fine. I think I’ll feel more at ease in a futon than in your bed.”

Ren didn’t know whether to feel insulted.

“Oi. My bed is totally fine. It’s comfortable enough and I cleaned everything just for you!”

Takumi laughed.

“Well. Maybe tonight.”

Ren huffed.

“Okay… If you say so.”

And so, they went back to the living room. Takumi laid down on the futon, while Ren took a pack of cards from the table. He was planning to quietly practice some magic tricks while the other was sleeping. But Takumi was just staring at him when he returned.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Actually, I wanted to talk a bit,” Takumi said.

“Sure.”

He sat down on the couch and looked down at his friend.

Takumi was on his back. He closed his eyes.

His face was godlike.

“You know… I’m curious.”

“About what?”

“If it’s a group battle then you’ll be the first one to pick the members, right?”

“Do you already know who you’ll choose?”

“Hmm, I have some people in mind.”

Takumi opened his eyes and stared right at him with an expectant smile on his mouth.

He pointed at himself.

“Me?”

Ren blinked.

“Do you want to be center, Takumi?”

He took a moment to think, then replied: “Of course.”

Ren smirked.

“Me too.”

Takumi pursed his lips in disappointment.

“I guess you won’t pick me.”

He laughed.

“It’s a secret~”

“I’m keeping my expectations low.” Takumi sighed and finally turned on his side. “Wake me up in half an hour.”

Ren grinned to himself.

_Just you wait, Takumi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was based on the [kawakawa sightings in Shinagawa](https://twitter.com/boogiefumi/status/1185026301918232576). Just my take on why they were together at that time.
> 
> This will mostly likely be the final instalment in this collection. I've got a few half-baked ideas left, but unfortunately there's only crumbs to work with. 😅
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this series.


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